Mysterious Baths, (formerly Caimi Pool), Milan, Italy

28/04/2017

Michele de Lucchi

The project was based on the renovation of the Caimi Swimming Pool in Milan, designed by Engineer Secchi in 1939, which had suffered decades of neglect and abandonment. In 2013 the Fondazione Pier Lombardo was given the chance to revive the entire complex and renamed it the ‘Mysterious Baths’.

It is now included in the cultural program of the adjacent Franco Parenti theatre. It consists of a large pool of 50 m and a semi-circular pool surrounded by greenery, a changing rooms and a pavilion with a café for events. The renovation of the pool and outdoor areas, technological upgrading of the original structures and the design of the green and open spaces, have given a new life to this prestigious public space making it a major attraction for the city. The inclusion of two long ‘porticos’ adjacent to the rows of the changing rooms makes the complex accessible all year round for outdoor performances which can take place on floating stages. The columns of the ‘portico’ in concrete create the architectural rhythm and supports the roof system. The roof is clad in light green ‘prepatinato’ copper panels that integrate the drainage gutters. The enclosure of the ‘portico’ is separated from the adjacent structure by a glazed area that also allows ventilation of the walkway during the summer heat.